Cheika ends Beale No. 10 experiment
KURTLEY Beale is set to make an immediate return to his preferred position at inside centre for Australia’s must- win Rugby Championship clash with Argentina this weekend.
After starting in the No. 10 jersey for the last three Tests, he will revert to his traditional spot in the midfield.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika is still undecided about who will fill the playmaker’s role, with Bernard Foley and Matt Toomua taking turns at five- eighth during the Wallabies’ first training session in Buenos Aires.
While Beale showed fleeting moments of brilliance, he never really looked as comfortable at first receiver.
Although Toomua produced a manof- the- match performance when he was paired with Beale for the first time in last month’s 23- 18 win over South Africa in Brisbane, it was clear the combination would need time to click.
The alarm bells were ringing when the Wallabies lost at home to the Pumas the following week, with Beale twice dropping routine passes from halfback Will Genia, including one which hit him in the head after he momentarily took his eyes off the ball.
But the moment that truly spelled the end for the experiment came in the opening exchanges against the Springboks last weekend, when Beale threw a wild intercept pass that gifted the South Africans a try after just 24 seconds.
Although Beale quickly regained his composure and played with much more authority in his remaining time at fiveeighth, it was noticeable how quickly his confidence improved when Foley came off the bench and took over the running of the backline.